Beauty

Naked body with long flowing black hair in a bathtub full of water and sliced oranges

By JGeorge

Not in the curves of her body, beauty is,

In the bend of her smile,

In the slant of her sign, it lies, unconcealed.

Flawless supple skin, beauty defines not,

But in her stretch marks and burns revealed it is.

Clear blemishless, beauty defines not,

But, the tan of a day’s toil, noticeable it is.

Blushing pink cheeks, beauty defines not,

But sometimes, under the soot of hunger forgotten, it marks.

Curled lashes, lined eyes, beauty defines not,

Beneath the heavy lids of age, wiser it speaks.

Firm, round breasts, beauty defines not,

But in the sag of selflessness, beauty finds itself.

Colored and trimmed beauty says not.

Veiled in the natural grey, experience guiding it is.

Inches of narrow hip, beauty defined never,

But the scars of bravery, fading to time, it is.

Tall, scored, slender beauty defined never;

With the remarkable titles of strength, criticized it is.

Collar bone seen, lip color chapped beauty shows not,

The impossible heights said untouchable shouts it all.

Long-legged, beauty defines not, But the elegant walk in challenges carries it.

Styled, decorated, beauty is not,

Sometimes it is the un-tied mess of work, scraping that shows.

Not in perfection, beauty lies, but in the acceptance it lies curled,

the beauty of wonderful women, living lives conquering every contour.

JGeorge writes from India. Her poems appear or are forthcoming in The Lumiere Review, Literary Shanghai, MookyChick, Borderless Journal, T.R.O.U Lit Mag and several other online and print journals. She firmly believes that poetry gives her a lease of hope. https://sailingwithpoetry.blogspot.com/ IG: @leasofhope